Outstanding receivers Kassim Osgood wants to be a surgeon and J.R. Tolver lists modeling among his interests.
to test UH secondary
SDSU's Tolver and Osgood are
3 Warriors may miss game
in the top 3 in catches per gameBy Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.comTogether, they cut up defenses and it's very pretty -- if you're a San Diego State fan.
Stopping Tolver was hard enough as it was. When Osgood joined him this season, it became nearly impossible and they became the best receiving duo in NCAA history.
Tolver led the Aztecs (4-8) in pass catching in 2000 and 2001 and was named all-Mountain West both years. Osgood, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound Division I-AA All-American, stepped into the SDSU starting lineup after transferring from Cal Poly.
"Kassim is a tremendous player. For us to get that caliber of player so late in his career was the luck of the draw. Tall, strong and fast. It's a tremendous advantage for both of us to be playing together," the 6-2, 205-pound Tolver said. "I was the primary receiver for two years, so going into this season I was worried about getting double and triple coverage. Kassim alleviated that."
Both cause headaches for opposing defenses.
"I know I cry wolf a lot, but this team is scary, very scary," said Hawaii defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa, who is looking for ways to slow Tolver and Osgood this Saturday. "Their receivers are all big and they turn 2-yard gains into 20-yard gains all the time."
Tolver said SDSU's offense is designed to get lots of yards-after-catches.
"We kind of like to think we never let the first guy tackle us," he said. "Coach (Tom) Craft gives us a lot of plays where we have opportunities to run with the ball."
The Warriors' (9-3) man-to-man defense has been effective most of the season, but recently UH has mixed in some zone to take some of the pressure off corners Kelvin Millhouse and Abraham Elimimian. That will probably happen Saturday, but it won't take anything away from some great matchups.
"We'd rather go against man-to-man. Our routes are designed for it," Osgood said. "It helps us when we don't have to go against that umbrella coverage that a lot of teams put out there against us."
Tolver is second in the nation in catches per game (9.17) and Osgood is third (8.58). Tolver is third in receiving yards (125.17) with Osgood fourth (118.83). Their totals of 213 catches and 2,928 yards are both NCAA single-season records.
The Aztecs have won four of their last seven games and finished 4-3 in conference. Still, losing twice as many games as they have won takes some of the luster off the individual statistics.
"Everybody wants that perfect 13-0 season. It makes it hard to celebrate when you break a record," Osgood said.
Hawaii counters with the Western Athletic Conference's best pass defense. That might not seem to be saying much, since the 201.8 yards yielded per game is 43rd in the nation. But UH also leads the WAC in sacks with 32; many of them have been coverage sacks.
The Aztecs receivers against the Warriors corners could be the key battle in the resumption of a series that's been dormant since SDSU beat UH for the ninth time in a row, 35-13, in 1998, after which San Diego State left the WAC.
"I'm very aware of it, being a San Diego kid," Tolver said. "I know there were some great games. I'm looking forward to going to the island and rekindling the rivalry."
When: Saturday, 6:05 p.m. UH vs. SDSU
Where: Aloha Stadium
Tickets: $23 sideline, $17 end zone, $12 students/ seniors, UH students free (super rooter only). Available at Aloha Stadium, except for student tickets at Stan Sheriff Center. Also at Ticket Plus outlets or by calling (808) 526-4400.
TV: KFVE, delayed, 10 p.m.
Radio: 1420-AM.
Note: UH will honor 19 seniors after the game with its traditional senior walk.
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